


Tony's Funeral

by JosieRuby1



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Funeral, Hurt/Comfort, post Endgame, this is really just pain and pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22185094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosieRuby1/pseuds/JosieRuby1
Summary: At Tony's funeral, Pepper has a lot she needs to say to Peter.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	Tony's Funeral

Peter didn’t know how he was keeping it together. Maybe he had cried too much already and had none left. Maybe his mind was creating a cover to shield him from the pain. He knew it was there. An unbearable gap in his chest where Tony Stark should be. Peter was worried it looked like he didn’t care, he was stood there stoic and unemotional as the mound was sound out onto the water with one of the reactors on the top. “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart”. As if anyone could ever deny that. The Tony Stark he knew had always been so full of heart, so determined to do his best by everyone, to do better than his best. Peter recalled an argument with Tony once.

_I was trying to be like you.  
_

_I want you to be better._

Now Peter would never get the chance to tell him that better than him wasn’t possible. How could he be better than the man who had sacrificed everything so everyone else could live. The man who had stepped away from his perfect retired life, his wife and child, to fight in a battle that seemed unwinnable. How could he be better than the man who had won that unwinnable battle. Tony Stark was the best man Peter had known and would ever know and he would never be able to tell him that.

Peter was so lost in his own head that he wasn’t aware of everyone moving away and mingling. He was so lost in his own thoughts that his senses didn’t warn him of someone approaching him until there was a hand on his shoulder. He turned, a little startled and see Pepper Stark there. Peter had met her a few times, but he didn’t know her well, he only knew she must be amazing because Tony Stark had fallen in love with her. Right now, her eyes were red and puffy. She had cried recently and looked like she could start again at any moment.

“Mrs Stark. Hi- Sorry I was…” Peter trailed off; he had no idea where he was going with that sentence. ‘Sorry I was staring into space because this day sucks more than any other’? He didn’t need to explain grief to her, it was written all over her face.

Pepper gave him the ghost of a smile before pulling him into a hug. “I’m glad you came, Peter.” She told him softly, her voice cracking as she spoke.

Peter was at a loss for what to do or say to help in this situation. He wasn’t an adult yet, despite the adult things he tried to do as Spiderman, and he felt so young right now. He wanted an adult to hold on to and tell him it would be okay. But instead he had an adult holding on to him and crying about the person they had both lost. Perhaps the truth was there was nothing to say. Peter returned the hug, keeping his arms around her until Pepper was ready to pull back.

“Sorry,” She said, wiping her eyes with a weak laugh. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to breakdown when there were kids around, apparently my mind decided Morgan is with Happy so it’s okay now. That’s not fair on you.”

“Mrs Stark, I… To be honest, if there’s one place you’re allowed to cry without apologising, I think this is it,” Peter said, picking his words carefully.

Pepper looked at him, her expression thoughtful, clearly considering something seriously as she looked at him. Peter remained quiet, a little uncomfortable under her gaze. There was nothing bad or threatening about it, he just didn’t know what she was thinking, and it unnerved him a little. Eventually she spoke, “He loved you, you know that, right?”

Whatever it was that had been shielding Peter from the pain of all of this broke in that moment. He couldn’t speak as he felt his heart snapping yet again. His tears started almost as soon as the words reached his ears. _He loved you. He loved you._ Peter loved him too and it was too much knowing that he would never be able to tell him. Did Mr Stark know? Peter had to hope but he could never know for sure.

“I’m sorry,” Pepper said, pulling Peter into another hug as the kid broke down. Peter still couldn’t speak, he just held on to her. He rested his head on Pepper’s shoulder as everything that had been held back came out to the surface. He felt so young, so small, so powerless and he hated it.

Pepper kept one arm around him and carefully lead him to the bench on the porch. She sat down and gently pulled Peter to sit down as well. Her tears were quiet compared with his sobs, but they cried together. Slowly, Peter calmed back down enough to be able to talk.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said, his words slow and careful, trying not to break down again. “I… I loved him too… love him…” He couldn’t call it past tense even if Tony was dead. Feelings like that didn’t change.

“I know,” Pepper said, “And Tony knew. Neither of you ever told each other how you saw your relationship, but it was clear it was the same.”

Peter swallowed heavily then, could she really be implying that it sounded like she was implying? Surely not…

“Tony saw you as a son, Peter, you have to know that.” Pepper told him.

Oh god, she had meant _that._ Peter was relieved, he was pleased with the information, and he was completely heartbroken at now knowing it and not being able to do anything with it. He sniffled and wiped his eyes, barely aware that he was just staring at Pepper with every emotion written on his face.

Pepper moved a hand up to brush a few strands of hair from his face, before moving it down to his cheek, and Peter instinctively leaned into the touch. “He was so proud of everything you did. He was a busy man, he wasn’t good at prioritising and he was terrible with emotional things, always quick to brush things off with a joke. But you meant the world to him.” She sniffed, struggling to keep her own tears at bay. “Whenever he had Happy check up on you, he got Happy to tell him everything. He was so interested in what you were doing with your life, not just as Spiderman, everything.”


End file.
